The initial stages of a study about racism at Australian universities being undertaken by the Australian Human Rights Commission have revealed a range of concerns from both students and staff in relation to their experience of racism on university campuses.
The Commission was tasked to undertake the study, titled Respect At Uni, by the Australian Government in May this year and has delivered an interim report to update the Government on the study’s progress: Read report
Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman: “One of the catalysts of this project was the need to respond to the alarming increase in antisemitism on university campuses over the last 12 months, which remains a key concern for the Jewish staff and students we have consulted with to date.
“The Commission has heard that both interpersonal and structural racism are pervasive and deeply entrenched at universities. Racism impacts different communities in different ways, including Jewish, Muslim, Palestinian and Arab students and staff. It has a profoundly negative impact on First Nations students and staff. Students told us their experiences of racism leave them feeling unsafe and unwelcome, which affects their engagement and performance at university. Staff told us about feeling ‘othered’ and less confident expressing their opinions or identity, with high levels of casual employment and a hierarchical academic structure compounding these issues.
“Themes emerging from our consultations so far include the diverse nature of staff and student experiences of racism at universities, their dissatisfaction with complaints mechanisms, the disconnect between universities’ policies on racism and their practice, and the challenge of finding a common language and understanding around racism. Initial consultations also revealed low racial literacy – the ability to name, understand and confront racism – as a key obstacle to anti-racism efforts across universities.
“At this intermediate stage in the study, it’s clear there’s a significant amount of work required across the tertiary education sector to address racism and increase respect at universities. We’ll be making recommendations for reform in our final report next year.”
The study’s interim report highlights a range of concerns about and experiences of racism among both students and staff:
Jewish students and staff: Jewish students and staff reported increased incidents of antisemitism following protests on campuses from October 2023 through to the present. Some felt unsafe attending lectures, while others expressed concerns about intimidation, exclusion and extremist propaganda, such as neo-Nazi-linked posters. Jewish students felt that universities did not adequately address their safety concerns, with some Jewish groups calling for a specific approach to address antisemitism on campuses, while others felt it could be addressed through broader anti-racism efforts.
Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students and staff: Palestinian, Arab and Muslim students and staff described experiences of exclusion, hostility, threats and a conflation of their disparate experiences. Concerns were raised about academic repercussions for speaking out, as well as discriminatory actions such as the closure of prayer spaces as well as restrictions on symbols of cultural expression, such as keffiyehs and Palestinian flags.
First Nations students and staff: Indigenous students and staff described facing significant structural and interpersonal racism, compounding longstanding inequities in the sector. Achievements by First Nations students and staff are often undermined by being characterised as ‘special treatment’ rather than a result of merit. Limited understanding of the historical and systemic discrimination faced by First Nations people and ongoing experiences of racism were noted as barriers to participation by both students and staff.
African and Asian students and staff: Students and staff from African backgrounds described frequent and severe incidents of racism, as well as feeling the need to moderate their behaviour to avoid being seen as an ‘angry Black person.’ Students and staff from Asian backgrounds also shared experiences of overt and systemic racism.
International students: International students reported experiences of exclusion, a lack of social support, and difficulty finding adequate guidance and assistance. International students also shared stories of feeling unwelcome and viewed as a commodity or ‘cash cow’ for universities and expressed fear of reporting incidents of racism and discrimination, worried that doing so may compromise their visas and lead to their deportation.
At this interim point, the Respect At Uni project has established a whole of Australian Government senior officers working group and an independent, expert advisory committee comprised of representatives from relevant communities and the university sector. Project staff have been recruited and the parameters, methodology and governance of the study have been developed. The Commission has conducted initial consultations with relevant tertiary education organisations as well as organisations representing diverse cultural communities including people from First Nations, Jewish, Muslim and other negatively racialised communities. The Commission has also delivered an initial literature review of content relevant to the study.
The study’s next phase will commence in January 2025 and will include a series of focus groups as well as a comprehensive survey of university staff and students from across Australia. A more detailed literature review of content relevant to the study will also be undertaken. Data from the survey, focus groups, consultations and literature review will be analysed by the Commission with a final report containing relevant recommendations scheduled to be delivered to the Australian Government in June 2025.
The Respect At Uni interim report is available on the Commission’s website: Read report
